Alex Wyse Says Good Night, Oscar Co-Star Sean Hayes Reignited Belief in Himself

Alex Wyse—who was last on Broadway playing Max Weinbaum opposite Tony winner Sean Hayes' Oscar Levant in Good Night, Oscar—can currently be seen Off-Broadway in Classic Stage Company's world premiere of Ethan Slater and Marshall Pailet's Marcel on the Train. 

Wyse plays Henri, one of the children internationally famed mime Marcel Marceau (played by co-writer and Wicked film star Slater) is helping to escape France during World War II. Directed by Pailet, performances of the locomotive-set play were recently extended through March 22. The company also includes Maddie Corman (Accidentally Brave), Max Gordon Moore (Tammy Faye), Aaron Serotsky (August: Osage County), and Tedra Millan (Leopoldstadt).

Wyse's additional Broadway credits include Waitress, Spring Awakening, and Lysistrata Jones, and he received a Tony nomination as one of the producers of the Tony-nominated What the Constitution Means to Me. His Off-Broadway credits also feature Ride the Cyclone, Bare, and Triassic Parq. TV audiences may have seen his performances in Elsbeth, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Other Two, Iron Fist, Masters of Sex, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Bold and the Beautiful, Switched at Birth, Agent X, Modern Family, and Bored to Death.

Not only an actor, Wyse directed the Off-Broadway hit Cellino v. Barnes, co-wrote and co-directed the GLAAD-nominated Summoning Sylvia, and co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in the Emmy-nominated Indoor Boys. He also penned and starred in the solo musical Picking Up Speed and A Commercial Jingle for Regina Comet, the latter with Ben Fankhauser.

In the interview below for the Playbill series How Did I Get Here—spotlighting not only actors, but directors, designers, musicians, and others who work on and off the stage to create the magic that is live theatre—Wyse shares (often with a good dose of humor) how Jewish actors bring depth to Jewish characters, why he may regret his Twitter account, and how a difficult year spawned his forthcoming film, Actual Nobodies.

VIDEO: Ethan Slater Was Inspired to Write Marcel on the Train After Googling 'Charlie Chaplin Jewish'

Where did you train/study?
Alex Wyse: I went to Boston University, where I got a BFA in Theatre Arts.

Was there a teacher who was particularly impactful/helpful? What made this instructor stand out?
My favorite teacher at BU was Judith Chaffee, our movement instructor. She encouraged so much open-heartedness and joy while performing, and her belief in me practically saved my life at that school. I even ended up as her movement T.A. for the three years! (Can you imagine me? Moving?) Also, two directors from my high school days in Cleveland whom I’d like to pay respects to are the late, great Brian Zoldessy and the late, great Paul Gurgol. Both saw potential in me, gave me opportunities, invested their time, artistry, and care in me. I will miss both of them for the rest of my life.

How did your role in Marcel on the Train come about? Tell me a bit about the character you are playing.
Marshall Pailet, our co-writer and director, is one of the earliest friends I made when I moved to New York in 1829 (give or take). Cut to: This is our third Off-Broadway show together! I appeared in his musical Triassic Parq, he directed a musical I co-wrote and acted in called A Commercial Jingle for Regina Comet, and now Marcel. Meanwhile, Ethan and I have become true blue friends over the last several years from our mutual social circles. Together, the two invited me to participate in the development of their new play. Specifically, they sent me a note that read, “Will you be in our play, check one: yes, no, maybe.” I checked yes. May all jobs manifest this way. I feel quite lucky to be a part of something with two gents whom I love and respect so much.

In the show, I play Henri, one of the children aboard the eponymous train ride. Henri is a wise-cracking, impulsive 12-year-old. I did not have to dig deep, despite my aging face, which now drags behind me as I walk.

What was the rehearsal process like, with one of the co-writers directing and the other starring?
Torture! No, the process has been joyous from day one. First off, you’ve never heard so many jokes flying around—it’s sometimes hard to get work done. And second, the spirit of collaboration and imaginativeness that Marshall and Ethan have fostered is alive and well and living on 13th Street. It’s very “Mickey and Judy in a barn,” except that I’m Judy, and I don’t care who’s Mickey. What was the question?

Excluding Marcel on the Train, do you have a favorite theatrical experience? What made that show particularly special?
First, let me give a shoutout to my Practice fam, which I got to do at Playwrights Horizons this past fall—I miss going through slow-motion trauma with you all. 

But the play that stands out most in my heart has to be Good Night, Oscar, which was one of the greatest experiences of my life. To be frank, I was not in a very good place before I got the job—returning to Broadway, after the pandemic had wiped out my last shred of hope. Furthermore, having Sean Hayes, who had been my childhood hero, become a surrogate big brother to me was quite profound. Sean was incredible to act with, incredible to hang with (and still is!), and he helped me believe in myself again. I’ll be thankful for that experience forever.

You also co-directed the Off-Broadway hit Cellino v. Barnes. Did you enjoy being on the other side of the footlights?
Yes, it’s one of my favorite places to be! I love finding new ways to challenge myself and engage the different parts of my brain. For me, writing and directing comes from the same creative impulse as performing. The only difference is the avenue through which I express it. Plus, I adore making things without worrying about what I look like. Ugh, what a relief.

Do you have any dream stage roles or actors you would like to share the stage with?
I most prefer making new work, whether I’m writing, directing, or acting. So the dream roles have yet to reveal themselves. (What a stupid answer, right? I’ll just say Antigone.) As for dream actors—currently, sharing the stage with Ethan Slater, Tedra Millan, Maddie Corman, Max Gordon Moore, and Aaron Serotsky is nothing short of dreamy.

What do you consider your big break?
When I was in rehearsal for Lysistrata Jones, I dislocated my finger. That was a big break in a couple of ways. Also, when I was on Marvel's Iron Fist, and I had my head bashed in with an ice cream scoop, I fondly remember several message boards describing me as "probably gay." Also, when I spent a year on The Bold and the Beautiful, and I escaped both a burning building and an exploding building in separate episodes, I remember the message boards updating it to "definitely gay." Also when I was in Spring Awakening, the message boards said I was dating Kathryn Gallagher.

Tell me about a job/opportunity you really wanted but didn’t get. How did you get over that disappointment?
All of 2024 into the beginning of 2025, I auditioned for a whole bunch of things and was cast in nothing. I became quite depressed and isolated, feeling like I no longer knew where I fit in. So, I wrote a screenplay into which I poured the feelings that had been busy burning a hole inside of me. I sent the script around, I teamed up with producers, I secured funding, I got actors attached, I hired a crew, and this past summer, I directed my second feature film. It is perhaps the proudest I've ever been of myself in my whole life. To take my pain and quite literally turn it into art at a breakneck pace, taking risks, overcoming fears and hurdles, instilling my passion for the project into others, making a million tiny decisions, and ultimately getting the thing done. 

Now, I’ve been in post-production for six months on my new film, Actual Nobodies, starring Didi Conn, Austin P. McKenzie, Will Chase, Jason Veasey, Olli Haaskivi, and more. So, stay tuned. And don’t be afraid to say yes to yourself when it feels like no one else will.

What do you think Broadway is currently getting right in terms of diverse casting and what still needs improvement?
Of course, I can only speak to certain parts of this massive topic, but I will say that I am proud to be in an industry that has been working hard to hold itself accountable in terms of creating diverse and authentic rooms, even though there is still much work to be done. 

One thing I do want to mention, though (steps up to podium, takes out reading glasses), is the subject of Jewish representation in casting, which sometimes gets overlooked. Through the years, I have seen various examples of non-Jewish actors playing Jewish roles in what could best be described as "a pogrom of the senses.” But seriously folks (turns page, removes reading glasses), I am thankful to be in a play like Marcel on the Train, which takes that authenticity seriously. It’s quite special to be in a room full of people who get to tell our collective story, so to speak, all while taking antacids.

What advice would you give your younger self or anyone starting out?
You might think it’s funny to write lots of jokes about Newsies on Twitter in 2014, but Newsies are people too, and you’re just mad that you weren’t cast in the show. So leave Newsies alone, and one day Twitter will be destroyed by the President. 

Also, be yourself.